The color warms up as temperatures cool down for peak fall foliage in Vermont

April Barton, Burlington Free Press
·2 min read

Much of Vermont has made it to peak fall foliage season and with less rain in the forecast, this may be the best weekend to view the colors.

In this week's installation of the Fall Foliage Report prepared by the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, foresters report much of northern and central Vermont have made it to peak: the leaf changing stage providing optimal color before the leaves fall off the trees.

The counties of Rutland, Windham and Bennington are close to or at peak, according to foresters, with some valley oaks yet to turn.

Weather has been a factor for enjoying the season as 80-degree days turned into rainy, blustery ones, prematurely causing some leaf drop last week.

"The first half of the week was prime foliage viewing, with clear skies, warm temperatures, and lots of color statewide," the report reads. "Rain and wind, standard weather for autumn, did blow some leaves off trees, but trees in the northern half of the state lost more than the south, and there’s still a lot to see statewide." 

The view from Oak Hill Road in Williston on Oct. 8, 2023 shows near peak fall color and Camel's Hump partially shrouded in clouds in the background.
The view from Oak Hill Road in Williston on Oct. 8, 2023 shows near peak fall color and Camel's Hump partially shrouded in clouds in the background.

Leaf-peeping tips

As this will most likely be a popular week for leaf-peeping, the report offered these tips to motorists:

"When pulling off the road to view the brilliant colors against Vermont's mountainous backdrop, please be mindful of traffic, use your blinker, and pull fully onto the road's shoulder. There's often a pull-off area on Vermont's backroads to safely stop your car as you capture this year's fall foliage."

The forecast in Burlington for the weekend is mostly rain free but cloudy. Temperatures will feel fall-like with highs in the mid- to upper-50s.

Best bets for color this week:

  • Northern Vermont − Lake Willoughby; backroads of southern Orleans County; the Northeast Kingdom scenic byway.

  • Southern Vermont − Merck Forest; Mount Equinox; Vermont 9 between Brattleboro and Wilmington; Vermont 30 and Vermont 133 in the southwestern part of the state; U.S. 4 between Woodstock and Killington; the Vermont 100 scenic byway.

Read about Vermont fall foliage in an autumn guide to five gravel biking tours from the New York Times and Market Watch's 10 best fall foliage road trips.

Contact reporter April Barton at abarton@freepressmedia.com or 802-660-1854. Follow her on Twitter @aprildbarton.

This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Vermont fall foliage: Rutland, Windham counties at peak color